BELAGAVI: Hundreds of farmers in Belagavi district’s Bailhongal taluk don’t cross the Malaprabha on the recently constructed bridge . Instead, they hop onto a boat — which does just two trips a day — to reach their fields across the river.This is because the bridge is about 1.5km from the village, and farmers say they can ill-afford a 3km riverbank trek every time they cross the river. Hunasikatti village in Bailhongal taluk is home to hundreds of mainly agricultural families, who have their fields on the other side of the river. If the Malaprabha does not have enough water — which is often the case in non-rainy season — then it’s easy for villagers to trudge across the river.During peak monsoon , it’s dangerous to cross the river on boat, but villagers spend more time reaching the bridge and then walking towards their farmland. Thanks to petitions by villagers, the government has now deployed a boat that’s operated by Dastgeersaab. He makes two trips a day — in the morning and in the evening.Pravin Kumar Patri, from the village, said, “The government has constructed a bridge 1.5km from our village. This means we end up travelling 3km more every time we use the bridge. Also, we travel 40km more to bring farm produce on bullock carts or tractors from our fields via Holi-Hosur and MK Hubballi. We’ve urged the government to build a second bridge near our village that can take load.”Doddappa Ganachari, also from the village, maintained that the government didn’t take them into confidence while planning the Rs 1.5-crore bridge.Bailhongal MLA Mahantesh Doddagoudar said he was aware of the hardship faced by villagers in crossing the river at the nearest point. “A new bridge would cost Rs 2 crore. I am approaching the government to get the proposal approved,” he added.

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